Avatar: The End of the World
by Littlefoot the Warrior
Summary: Disaster strikes when the Avatar is killed by rouge earthbenders and waterbenders seeking revenge upon the Fire Nation. The next Avatar is nowhere to be found, and Aang and Katara's child is more special than they thought.
1. Chapter 1

Katara was cradling the tiny baby, letting it sleep in her arms. Aang was still out, somewhere getting Sokka and Suki to safety. The war was over, but there was still tension in the 3 nations. A group of elite earth benders were recoiling to the fire nation for the war that ended only 10 years earlier. The world had suddenly become a very unsafe place.

She had only given birth three days ago, all on her own, alone in the eastern air temple. Aang had set off 8 days ago to get them, because the earth benders destroyed Suki's village. _He's coming back soon_ Katara told herself. She couldn't name the baby without him. The little girl wont be named without her father.

Hurried, with worry, she set the baby down in the cradle in her room in the Southern Air Temple. She quickly scrawled a note to send to Aang. Katara tapped on the cage of their messenger hawk, Yuki. She put the note in the little pouch, and sent it out the window to find Aang.

A day later, Katara was bathing the little baby. She heard the growl of Appa. Racing outside with the wet, bare baby in her arms, she saw Appa touching down in the field. But the sight she saw wasn't what she wanted.

Sokka was holding a badly hurt Suki. He looked at Katara with tears streaming down his face. She knew it.

Katara, still holding her a baby, dropped to her knees. Her husband was dead. Her only love was dead. The man who saved the world was dead. Sokka hoisted down Suki, who was still unconscious, and went over to comfort his sister.

Aang was dead.

She pushed Sokka away when she saw Suki. Giving him the unnamed baby, she healed Suki's wounds with water. Suki gasped for air, and her eyes fluttered open. The bleeding coming from her chest went away, and she reached for Sokka. He gave Katara the baby back, and held her hands. Then retreated to Appa for a moment, coming back with a 3-year-old boy in his arms. Bringing Katara's nephew to Suki, the boy hugged his mother. Katara continued to cry.

A little girl, Katara's older daughter, Menjiing, came out of the temple, rubbing her eye of sleep. The 4-year-old looked upon the scene, looking for her father. But saw nobody with arrow tattoos. Menjiing stepped towards her mother, a sign of strength and courage to her, but saw only the figure of her mother, broken, crying. Menjiing didn't know why her mother was crying.

Katara grabbed Menjiing and hugged her. She hugged her till Menjiing squirmed.

"I-I will name her Reina. Aang, I hope you approve of her name." Katara spoke for the first time. A gust of wind swept through the vast garden. Katara felt as if somebody had kissed her cheek. Her tears came faster now.

Aang knew Reina was born, and that she was safe.

10 years later

Katara stewed sea prune soup till the smell engulfed the hut. She had moved to live in the Southern Water Tribe shortly after Aang died. She felt that being farther away from the Air temple would be better for her and her daughters. Katara learned that Menjiing could not bend, contrary to what Katara believed about two benders breeding to have a bending child. She did know, however, that Reina was a bender. She was a water bender, and was learning the art directly from Katara.

In all the years since Aang's death, Katara never asked Sokka how Aang died. So she paid a visit to her brother, 3 huts away from her own. He, Suki, and their son, Sen, came to live in the Southern Tribe to watch over Katara, worried about her mental health. She was never the same after Aang's death.

It took a lot of mental strength to even leave her hut. She didn't want to know about her husband's death, but yet, she was starving for information.

14-year-old Menjiing came home from fishing to find her mother rolled up in a ball, in the doorway to their hut.

"Mom?"

"Uh, yes honey?" Katara stood up instantly.

"Are…you ok?"

"Fine. Just fine…will you come with me for a moment?" Katara grabbed her daughter's wrist and dragged her to Sokka and Suki's hut. She could do this if she had Menjiing with her. It was much more comfortable for her. 10-year-old Reina was out with some little friends.

Katara called into the hut, and Sokka opened the sealskin flap that was their front door.

"Sokka. I know we've all avoided this before, but I need to know what happened to Aang."

Sokka stood there with a surprised expression. But he still let his sister and niece into his home. "It's not a day I would like to remember.

"Aang and Appa had just landed in the village, in the midst of an attack. We raced to get to him, but the rebels got in our way. Suki was hit by a rebel's earth bending. That's how she got stabbed in the chest. Sen was too scared to do anything. I just carried him and half-dragged Suki to try and get closer to Aang, who was fighting off the rebels. He managed to get us into Appa's saddle, but then we were hit by a surprise attack. The rebellion had rouge water benders on their side, and one of them sent a wave of ice that impaled Aang through the stomach. He was killed instantly, and he had no chance of going into the Avatar state.

"I knew there was no point in trying to help him. I had to get Suki and Sen to safety. Appa took off, and I watched Aang's body become engulfed in ice. I'm so sorry Katara."

Katara's face was blank. She knew. She knew how her husband died. And so did Menjiing. Her face was awestruck. She was terrified of the violence, but was also intrigued by the fact that there were so many benders. She wanted to be a bender. She wanted it more than anything in the world. She almost wanted it more than she wanted her father to be alive.

"Thank's Sokka." Katara stood up, almost robotically, and left the hut. Menjiing quickly followed her.

"Mom!" Menjiing shouted to her. Menjiing had dark skin, short brown hair, and purple eyes. She was really the spitting image of Katara. The only difference was that Menjiing was not quite as beautiful. She was pretty, but not as beautiful as Katara.

"What?" Katara turned and spat back at her.

Menjiing recoiled at her mother's hostility. Her mother sometimes got like this, and would need to be calmed down with her own time. Katara often left the village to a special, almost hollowed out iceberg. Her mother wouldn't tell her why she went there. She just left sometimes. For hours, even days at a time. Katara was an emotional wreck.

"I love you. Remember that." Was all Menjiing said before she ran off to the center of the village where she would, in envy, watch the water benders practice.

Katara closed her eyes and walked back to her own hut. She finished cooking the sea prunes and waited for her daughters to come home.

Reina soon walked through the door. Her coat was soaked, and her shoes make squishing sounds on the fur floor. "Hello Mommy!" she sang and kissed Katara on the cheek. Reina shed her wet coat and boots and put on her dark blue dress. Skipping back to the kitchen, she took a bowl of sea prune soup and slurped it down.

"Your father hated sea prunes." Katara smiled at her youngest daughter.

"Well, I do too, but you put so much work and love into it, that for some reason your sea prune soup is good." Reina smiled back and put away the bowl. She took up a book that she had of Katara's drawings. They included pictures of Appa, who is now dead, and Momo, who is also dead. Pictures of Firelord Zuko, his wife Princess Mai, Zuko's uncle Iroh, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Tai Lee, Azula in prison, an illustration Yue, of Katara and Sokka's dad, and many more of the original gang's old friends. Reina's favorite picture is one Aang made of his best friend and teacher, Monk Giatso. She liked his flowing robes and how his necklace looked. She liked that necklace.

"Mommy?" Reina called.

"Hmmm?" Katara looked up from a painting she was making of Reina.

"Did daddy have a necklace like this?" Katara looked at the wooden medallion that Reina pointed to.

"Yes, sweetie, he did."

"Can I see it?"

Katara froze. That necklace was still in their chamber room at the Southern Air Temple, and they had no way to get there, now that Appa had died.

"I-I-I don't know where it is honey." Katara stuttered. All of Aang's possessions were still in the Air Temple. His necklace, his robes, his bison whistle, his glider…

"Can we look for it?" Reina asked sweetly.

"It's not possible honey. We'll never be able to find it." Katara shuddered at the thought that all her husband's earthly possessions were forever locked up there.

"Oh. Ok…" Reina closed the book and hopped over to the bedroom, where her pet wolf was sleeping.

Katara looked upon her daughter. _She's so much like her father in every way. There's something about her that I can't put my finger on, but she's special. Very special…_


	2. Chapter 2

6 years later

ooo

Reina sewed up the tear in the turtlesealskin bag. It was torn when Reina accidentally caught a knife fish, which if she had any experience in fishing, she would have known to not catch that particular fish, because it not only tastes bad, it cuts up everything if you try and catch it. Menjiing would normally be the one fishing for their family's food, but she married a very wealthy water bender and was on her way to her new home in the Northern Water Tribe. Now it was just Reina and Katara, in their ice hut.

"Reina!"

"Yes mom?"

"What did you do with the salmon jerky?"

"I…ate it…" Reina blushed as her mom looked into the small room they sleep in.

"Shoot. Can you go see if the market has any? It's so nice that they opened a market…"

"Yeah, yeah, mom. I'll be back soon." Reina dropped the bag she was sewing on the floor and pulled on her overcoat. Stepping outside, she couldn't tell what time it was. It was the middle of summer, and the Midnight Sun shone high overhead. Reina set out towards the village market, money in hand, and passed by her aunt and uncle's hut. Peeking in, she found her aunt Suki playing with a year-old baby girl named Anjie and Reina's 18 year old cousin Sen was learning to make a various fishing tools with Reina's uncle Sokka.

"Hello! How's Anjie doing?" Reina sat down next to the baby.

"Great, I think she's finally gotten the hang of walking!" Suki beamed.

"Wonderful! I'm headed to the market. Bye!" Reina kissed Anjie on the forehead before leaving.

She was halfway to the market when one of the elders stopped her. "The spirits are angry!" The elder croaked. The old lady scared Reina, and she scooted around her and ran the rest of the way.

ooo

Back at the hut, Reina didn't tell Katara about the crazy old lady. _It's not important. The old bat screams stuff like that all the time. She only told me because I was the only one in the street…_

"Reina? Is that you?" Katara called from inside the sleeping room.

"Yeah, I got that jerky you wanted. I hope it was worth it; the guy who ran the stand wanted 10 silver pieces for it. It took like 15 minutes to get him to finally drop it down to 9 silver pieces…" Reina complained. She took off her coat and picked up her sewing.

"Alright…" Katara brought out something that looked like a pie.

"Mom? What's this?" Reina looked surprised.

"It's your birthday, of course!"

"It is?"

"Yes! Sokka, Suki Sen and Anjie should be here soon…"

_How could I forget my own birthday? I guess I've been so busy trying to figure out how to fish…_ Reina thought to herself as her Aunt, Uncle and cousins entered the hut.

"Happy Birthday!" They all cheered, and they shared the salmon meat pie and drank hot tea. Suki had to leave, because Anjie had fallen asleep. It may have been about eight in the evening.

"Let us in or come outside." A deep, creaky voice came from outside. Sokka, Sen, Katara and Reina exchanged worried glances. Katara pulled away the door flap, and the four town Elders entered the small hut.

"We have dire news concerning young Reina here." The Eldest turned to Reina.

"What is it?" Reina asked in a soft, scared voice.

"You are the Avatar." He Eldest spoke without hesitation. Reina dropped to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Sokka and Sen stared in awe. Katara backed out of the hut into the land of the midnight sun.

"I can't believe this…" Reina told herself aloud. Sokka ordered Sen to stay and make sure Reina was ok, as he followed Katara, who ran into the snowdrifts.

"Reina? Reina are you alright?" Sen crouched down next to her.

"I-I'm fine. Its just a little surprising when you're told you're the Avatar by the tribe Elders." She replied in her most sarcastic voice.

"I can see that the shock hasn't really set in then." Sen chuckled.

ooo

Katara ran and ran, until she came to a waterway between icebergs. She gasped for a breath, tired, weary that her 42-year-old body wasn't as nimble as it was when she left the tribe for the first time. Creating an ice-bridge, she sped across. Minutes later, she arrived at her place of sanctuary. The iceberg where she first met Aang had not changed in 36 years. She lay down in the snow and ice, and waited.

Then, he came.

The spirit of Aang appeared in front of her. They could communicate this way. Katara would tell him about his daughters, and he would admire them by Katara's description. Aang would tell her how to deal with her problems.

"What's wrong, Katara?" Aang's spirit looked worried.

"I wish I could hug you." She sighed. "The Elders told Reina that she's the, well, the Avatar." She broke into tears.

Aang hummed.

"Did you know about this?" She asked.

"I did, in fact, know. But it would disrupt balance if I told you."

"How would it disrupt balance?"

"She wouldn't grow up normally. You would treat her differently; try to get her to try other methods of bending. We can't have that happening." The image of Aang sat down in front of Katara.

"I look so old, and you so young." She laughed. Aang looked the same as he did the week he died. Strong muscles, tall, lean, perfect skin. Katara had begun to get grey hairs by now. She had larger hips, especially now that she had given birth to two rather large children.

"You will always look beautiful to me." Aang's image smiled. Katara smiled.

"It's interesting, you being the Avatar, and your daughter being the Avatar. Not every hundred years that happens." Katara curled up into a ball.

"It is very interesting. The spirits, I sense, may not be so pleased with the idea." Aang looked solemn.

"Why not?" Katara inquired.

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the reason the Avatar is reborn into a different nation is that it's even, there is no one group of beings with power. But because two Avatars are so closely related, it disturbs the balance of things. Now the Earth and Fire nations have less power than the Water nation. Do you see what I mean?"

"Yes, but why exactly would the spirits be angry about that?"

"Its not exactly that. Its something else I just can't put my finger on. But you know how many of the spirits were not pleased that I learned energy bending?"

"Yes?"

"Something similar is going on. Something that is so evil, so sinister, the spirits are very angry. It would be best to keep Reina away from very spiritual places until we can locate Toph to teach her earth bending."

"WHAT?" Katara shot up. "TOPH? Oh no, I'm not looking for her again!"

"Katara-"

"No! I hate her! That's why she LEFT us! She's just so, well, b-i-t-c-h-y!"

"Katara. She was very hormonal, because-"

"Because she was on her 'monthly you-know-what'? Yeah, I know. I got a face-full of rock for it! She broke my nose!"

"Katara. You attacked her."

"I was in my early pregnancy! How do you keep a pregnant woman from NOT killing somebody!"

"That's still no exception. Reina will learn Earth bending from Toph. And then she must learn fire bending from Zuko, if he's not too busy fighting off the rebellion."

"What about air bending?"

"I will come to her when she's ready. Now you must go, I believe dear Reina is a little stressed about the recent news."

"Alright. Goodbye, Aang." Katara blew him a kiss as he disappeared into the light snow.


End file.
